“Enablement”: The Otherwise Approach to Cultivating Social Media Experts
At Otherwise, we believe cultivating experts is the key ingredient in building self-sustainable social media programs. Armed with this perspective, we have built our social media practice based upon a philosophy of “enablement” — the imperative to cultivate experts.
Otherwise will give you the insight, understanding, persistence and curiosity you need to evolve your brand and achieve your vision. Our end goal is to empower your staff to be self-sufficient social media marketers and integrate this work into the life of your organization.
From the first conversation about working together to the last weekly check-in call, our team utilizes a seven-step methodology that empowers clients to become self-sufficient social media marketers. The process generally takes 12-18 months, and looks like this:
Developing the Strategy: Building a social media roadmap
We understand the importance of a rock solid foundation on which we build a successful social media program. In order to create the most authentic and authoritative social presence, we start by building an engagement strategy for the program. And rather than developing the strategy in a vacuum, we work together to craft a strategy that empowers you to own your program, your voice and your brand.
Launching the Strategy: Getting a social media program off the ground
While many social media programs reside on variety of platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and Pinterest, we use a blog as “home base” for all activities, and build out the blog and other platforms so they are visually harmonious with your brand while maintaining discrete content strategies that are relevant and valuable.
Doing and Showing: Managing the program and teaching clients the ropes
Otherwise builds each program around the idea that content is king. Through our training you’ll become familiar with the process of content creation and learn to think about content in strategic ways. Engagement is the key to good social media, so we teach you how to interact with your audiences and have conversations though your brand. Otherwise monitors social media analytics, which provide invaluable feedback to help grow your audience and build a strong brand presence.
Activating Participation: Helping clients get their feet wet
The best way to learn something is to do it; practice enough and it becomes second nature. At this point, we help you begin to participate in creating content and fostering conversations because it feels natural; because you have something to say. A healthy routine of posting to platforms and engaging with users allows you to activate new brand resources in unique, novel ways.
Managing from the Side: Working together to build the program
As your team settles into the program, we’re there to help every step of the way. We’ll work together to build your command of the blog and provide you with the hands on practice you need to truly understand each platform. At this point, you’ll not only understand how to interpret analytics and make your own prescriptions for refinement and adjustment to continuously improve and advance your program.
Moving Behind the Scenes: Observing and offering guidance
With the guidance and consultation of Otherwise, you’ll be able to use social media to act and react in ways you were never able to before. You’ll hold yourself to a newly-defined set of standards of content excellence, and understand that listening to your audiences is just as important as talking to them. Our unique approach to building a program enables you to take the reins through a disciplined transition strategy, with our team watching your backs and making the tweaks and adjustments that ensure the excellence of your social media program.
Transitioning Control: You’re on your own
Once the training wheels come off you’ll be riding on your own. You’ll find that tweeting comes naturally, blogging becomes an authentic way to express ideas and analytics provide the feedback to fine-tune your work. Social media has made it so that a conversation about your brand is going to take place whether you’re part of it or not. Otherwise carves out a space for your brand and puts the control of the conversation back in your hands.
Illustration credit: Yuri Canales, Designer at Otherwise Incorporated.
Emmaline Niendorf is an Integrated Marketing Associate for Otherwise Incorporated.